A lovers Arms
by Nattou
Summary: Sometimes life throws you surprises you're not always quite ready for. Sometimes you're forced to deal with situations you dont know how to handle, and sometimes your life changes with one single word; baby. ZxV NO LONGER A ONE SHOT!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **New story :) This randomly came out the other day....and i hope you like it :)  
Thanks to everyone who helped me along. Love ya!

**Disclaimer: **This is a derivate piece of fiction featuring real people. The author is not affiliated, nor knows any of the following people - including their friends and family - on a personal level - Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Kenny Ortega, nor any other celebrity mentioned throughout this piece of work. This work is solely intended for posting on Fanfiction, for the benefit and enjoyment of its intended audience. No commercial or financial benefit accrues or is intended to accrue to the author as a result of said posting. Any unauthorized copying or redistribution of this work might subject the party responsible for such unauthorized copying or redistribution to legal action by the owners of the aforementioned copyrights and trademarks.

**A lovers arms**

Zac traced the outline of Vanessa's face with gentle fingers. Sleep had relaxed the muscles in her face and she looked more content now than she had in the past few hours. Closing his eyes briefly he took a deep breath before looking down at her again. Her eyelids nearly fluttered and her nose scrunched up as she dreamed and Zac was sure he had never laid eyes on anything quite as beautiful as her before. She's caught his eyes the first time he saw her, something about her personality and sparkling eyes had appealed to him, and now years later he was still mesmerized. His fingers moved down her neck and over her bare shoulder. Her arm was loosely wrapped over his waist as it had been almost all night. He wasn't quite sure how she had been able to fall asleep. His head was swirling with thoughts and he wasn't sure how he would be able to settle them enough to allow his body to relax.

_The house was eerie quiet as Zac opened the front door. Scrunching his eyebrows he dropped his keys on a small table and kicked off his shoes. _

"_Vanessa? Shadow?" _

_Silence. _

"_Vanessa?" _

_Zac scratched the back of this neck. Something didn't feel right. Her car was parked in its usual spot and she knew he was coming over, yet she was nowhere to be seen. On the phone earlier in the day she had sounded distracted and the bad feeling he'd had since then only grew. Quickly fishing out his phone from his pocket her pressed speed dial one. The distinct buzzing from a vibrating phone sounded from the kitchen and Zac quickly hung up. She wouldn't leave the house without her phone. Feeling his heartbeat speed up he shoved his phone back into his pocket and headed for the stairs. Taking them two at the time he quickly walked towards her bedroom and reached for the doorknob. _

_It was locked. She never locked her door. He was the only one who had a key to her house and they were way past locking bedrooms doors because they were changing. _

"_Vanessa?" he asked, getting more worried by the second. This wasn't like Vanessa at all. Shadow scratched on the door and a quiet voice told her off for it. _

"_Vanessa, baby, open up." _

"_No…" Her voice was shaking and he felt his chest tighten. _

"_I'm not going anywhere you know. I'll sit here till you do." _

_He had learned long ago not to push her. No matter how worried he was, she would not be pushed, so instead he leaned against the door and slid down towards the floor. Something big was troubling her, but he didn't know what. It couldn't be more leaked pictures, she'd tell him about that. Sighing he ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. He really had no idea what could be bothering her, and that almost bothered him as much as being locked out did. _

_After what felt like hours he heard soft footsteps and sat up straight. The lock clicked and he scrambled to his feet. Suddenly feeling nervous, he hesitated slightly before turning the knob. Carefully opening the door he froze when he saw her. She was curled up in one of the chairs, her face tearstained and her hair in a messy bun on top of her head. Shadow sat silently on her lap and tilted her head slightly when she noticed him, but didn't leave her clearly distressed owner. _

_At that moment Zac silently thanked the heavens that they were at home and Vanessa had Shadow with her. A pet gave more comfort than a teddy ever would. _

"_Baby?"_

"_Hey," she nearly whispered; her voice raspy and hesitant. He softly closed the door behind him before walking towards her. She looked so defeated and he just wanted to hug her tight and tell her that whatever was bothering her would be alright. _

"_I'm ok, Zac." The words were low, almost inaudible, and her eyes never left her fingers which were toying with the hem of her spaghetti strapped top. _

"_You don't look ok," he said and stepped towards her; his mind trying to figure out what way to go about the situation. "What's going on, Vanessa?"_

_Her face stayed in the same position and he crouched down in front of her. _

"_Vanessa?"_

_Instead of an answer she let out a sob and Zac quickly grabbed a hold of her hands. _

"_Come here," he said gently and pulled her into a hug. Vanessa's face buried itself into his shirt as he rubbed her back comfortingly. Shadow had jumped onto the bed and watched the pair with curious eyes, silently wondering what Zac gave that she couldn't. _

_One of his hands moved towards her face and stroked her cheek gently._

"_What's so horrible, baby?" _

"_I…" she trailed off. _

"_You what?" carefully he moved backwards until he could sit down in the abandoned chair. Vanessa had no other choice than to sit on his lap and she quickly snuggled into his embrace. _

"_I feel like an idiot," she whispered, lifting her eyes for the first time. Zac smiled down at her and wiped away a few tears. _

"_You're not an idiot, Van," he said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. _

"_You don't even know what I'm upset about…"_

"_Doesn't matter, it doesn't make you an idiot." _

_She lowered her gaze and placed her head against his warm shoulder. Warm hands snuck around her waist and rested on her stomach. _

"_Zac…" _

"_Yeah?" _

"_I'm just going to come out and say it ok?" _

"_Ok," he knew he sounded weary, but he couldn't help it. There was something about this entire situation that felt so very different from everything else they had been through. Only something that would affect him as much as her would make her scared of telling him, and as she started playing with his fingers only one idea popped into his mind. An idea she confirmed seconds later. _

"_I'm pregnant." _

Pregnant. Baby.

The words had swirled around in his head for the past few hours and he still couldn't quite believe it was true. A baby. There was a baby growing inside her that he had helped create. He had always been aware of how babies were made, how careful they had to be, yet now that she was actually pregnant he found it almost surreal. Vanessa smiled in her sleep and he carefully moved the arm that was draped over him. She turned onto her back and sighed softly. With gentle hands Zac pulled the duvet down and stared at Vanessa's flat stomach. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, yet somewhere in there a little human being was growing; a human being that would change everything. Nothing would ever be the same again; they'd have to take care of another person. That baby would be totally dependent on them from the moment he or she was born. Zac sighed, but a small smile had crept onto his face. Maybe this change was a good one, yet he couldn't help but wonder if he was ready for it. He'd be the first to admit that he was selfish. He loved doing what he wanted, when he wanted, and he loved having Vanessa to himself. It wasn't like he didn't like spending time with their families, of course he did, but at the end of the day it was nice to be able to crawl into bed with her and just…be.

Next to him Vanessa made an incomprehensible sound and turned onto her stomach, her hand searching for the warm comfort of his body.

"Zac?" she whispered, voice laced with sleep.

"Hmm?" his hand reached out and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," he admitted. Vanessa yawned and lifted her head, indicating that she wanted to use his chest as a pillow. He rolled over to his back and snuck his arm under Vanessa's body before pulling her close. She sighed softly and placed a kiss on the column of his neck. Her head had been jumbled up all day, not only thinking about what would happen if the test was positive, but what his reaction would be when she told him.

_Vanessa stared at the box in her shaking hands. Never in her life had she been this scared of an item only a few inches long. Feeling warm tears well up in her eyes she threw the box across the room and let out a sob. After hitting a framed picture of herself and Zac, the small item landed with a quiet thud on the floor. She couldn't make herself do it. She couldn't take the test on her own. It would change everything. Her heart was beating hard against her ribcage as picked up her phone. Her fingers trembled as she pressed speed dial 5. It rang a few times and Vanessa held her breath, silently praying that her best friend would pick up. _

"Hi, Nessa."

_At the sound of Brittany's voice Vanessa let out an involuntary sob and closed her eyes_

"Van, sweetie? What's wrong?"

"_I...I…I can't do it," Vanessa said quietly. _

"You can't do what?" _Brittany asked, worry lacing every word she uttered. _

"_Take the test."_

"Take what test, hon?"

_Vanessa remained silent, unable to say the words out loud. _

"Vanessa, honey are we talking about a life changing test?"

"_Yeah…" she said; the answer almost inaudible. On the other end Brittany continued breathing calmly. _

"Ok," she finally said.

"_Ok?" Vanessa asked. _

"Yeah."

"_Ok…" Vanessa felt rather confused. In her head there was absolutely nothing 'ok' about the situation. Brushing away a few tears her eyes settled on the abandoned box on her living room floor. _

"Sweetie are you at home?"

"_Yeah," _

"And Zac?"

_Vanessa bit her lip. _

"_Don't know…but…but he's coming over later." _

"Do you want me to come over?"

"_I don't know…I'm just…messed up," she admitted. Hoping Brittany could sort out the chaos in her head. _

"I'd squeeze you tight if I was with you you know," _Brittany said with a small sigh._

"_I know."_

"I don't really know what to tell you Van. I don't…"

"_I'm scared," Vanessa said quietly. _

"I know, hon, I know…How late are you?" _she tentatively asked. _

"_About a week and a half." _

"Take the test, Vanessa," _Brittany urged carefully. _

"_I cant…"_

"Why?"

"_Cause then it's real…"_ _Vanessa said as a few tears rolled down her cheek. She already knew the answer. Somehow she just knew what the test would confirm. _

"But then you can let it sink in, instead of worrying about something that might not even be problem. Take it, Van."

_Vanessa closed her eyes tight and another couple of tears escaped. _

"_What do I tell him Brit?" _

"I'd go with the truth."

"_He's going to freak. He doesn't want a baby. We're not ready for a baby…" her eyes filled with tears and she bit down on her lip. _

"But he loves you," _Brittany reminded her and she sniffled. _

"_Yeah…"_

"Go take the test, Van."

"_Ok."_

She felt Zac's hand run up her back and sighed softly. This had been the longest day in her life, and although she felt content right at that moment, nothing had settled inside her.

"You alright, Babe?" Zac asked quietly.

"Uhu," she yawned, making him smile.

"Go back to sleep, Van. It's been a draining day," he whispered and brushed his fingers over her upper arm.

"But you're not sleeping."

"Doesn't mean you have to stay awake too."

"But it's my fault you're up…" she mumbled. Zac's eyes widened.

"Hey, now. It's not your _fault, _ok?" he said and looked down at her. No matter how torn he was feeling he would never put the responsibility on her.

"Look at me, Vanessa." It was a firm yet gentle command and she slowly tilted her face upwards. She looked almost scared and Zac quickly placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't take the blame for this, do you hear? You didn't do this on your own."

"But it feels like that," she whispered before hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

"But you didn't," he soothed, feeling a little lost about what exactly she needed from him. Her warm tears touched the skin of his neck and he hugged her close. He knew she was scared, probably more so than he was. It was her body that was changing, making room for a new life.

"You're not alone in this you know," he said quietly. "I'll always be here."

She let out a strangled sob and kissed the skin closest to her lips.

"You and me?" she asked.

"You and me," he confirmed. "And the baby. Always."

* * *

AN: There you have it :) Please tell me what you think.

till next time, xxx Caroline


	2. Pregnant

**A Lovers Arms**

**AN: **Right...so this is no longer a oneshot....the second chapter just came out, so i hope you all like it :)

**Disclaimer: **This is a derivate piece of fiction featuring real people. The author is not affiliated, nor knows any of the following people - including their friends and family - on a personal level - Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Kenny Ortega, nor any other celebrity mentioned throughout this piece of work. This work is solely intended for posting on Fanfiction, for the benefit and enjoyment of its intended audience. No commercial or financial benefit accrues or is intended to accrue to the author as a result of said posting. Any unauthorized copying or redistribution of this work might subject the party responsible for such unauthorized copying or redistribution to legal action by the owners of the aforementioned copyrights and trademarks.

**Chapter 2: Pregnant **

It was pitch black outside when Vanessa's eyelids fluttered open. There was an uncomfortable pressure against her bladder and she sighed in frustration as she twisted her head to look at the clock. 02.15 am. Yawning she arched her back and turned to look at the man sleeping next to her. He looked almost angelic in his sleep, his features relaxed and a small smile playing on his lips. It had been nearly 5 years since he first kissed her, and she sometimes found it hard to believe how far they'd come since then. Smiling slightly she eased out from under the covers and sat up straight. She really couldn't put off going to the bathroom much longer. Standing up she ran a hand over her swollen stomach as she pulled her top back down. A light kick answered the pressure from her hand and Vanessa smiled.

"It's far too early to be up," she whispered as she padded towards the adjoining bathroom. Not caring about its mothers comment, the baby kicked once more and Vanessa placed a hand where the little foot had just been. She pressed lightly and waited for another kick. When it came a second later she sighed softly and pressed again. She loved these little conversations, little reminders of the life growing inside her. What had once been an alien feeling had become familiar, a reassurance that everything was ok. She still remembered Zac's disappointed face when she had first felt the baby moving and he couldn't. But engraved in her mind was also the memory of his reaction the first time he felt a kick towards the palm of his hand.

_Vanessa felt completely at ease as she lay on her back with her head resting in Zac's lap. One of his hands was playing with her curls as the other one rested on the exposed swell of her stomach. The flowing top she was wearing had been pushed back and she loved the feel of his hot palm against her skin. A movie was playing in the background but Vanessa was no longer paying attention to it. Zac's face had taken on a serene expression and she smiled as she watched him obviously lost in his own thoughts. Inside her the baby did a sudden summersault and Zac's face froze, his hand stopping mid motion as it combed through her hair. _

"_Zac?" she asked tentatively. "Did you feel that?" _

_A simple nod was his answer and she felt a smile spread on her face. _

"_Try pressing gently down," she said and placed her smaller hand on top of his. _

"_What?" he asked; his expression dazed. _

"_Press down." _

_Vanessa applied a light pressure with her hand and felt the baby switch positions. As it did a small foot or arm pushed against her stomach and she watched as Zac's face took on an almost vulnerable look. Tilting his head downwards they locked eyes and she saw that his eyes were shimmering. She carefully stretched her hand towards his face and ran gentle fingers over his cheek and behind his ear; softly caressing the earlobe before continuing down his neck. His eyes closed and Vanessa was overcome with emotion. Feeling tears brim in her own eyes she tilted her head to the side and hid her face in his shirt. _

"_That's our baby," he whispered, his voice shaking slightly. _

"_Yes it is," she answered softly and twisted her head so she could look at him again. His gaze was fixed on her stomach and she quickly reached down and entwined their fingers. She didn't know what was going on in his head, but his face showed stunned happiness and Vanessa couldn't help but feel as if another piece fell into place as a single tear rolled slowly down his cheek. _

Yawning, Vanessa washed her hands and flushed the toilet. Zac was still fascinated by the kicking, but it had become something normal now, something they both expected, something she knew she would miss on some level.

"Time to go back to bed," she whispered and padded back into the bedroom. In the darkness she didn't see the stray shoe until her foot got caught and she fought a losing battle to regain her balance. Doing everything in her power to shield her stomach, she fumbled for something to hold on to and knocked into the dresser before sliding to the floor.

"Fuck!" she exclaimed and clutched the spot on her hip that had hit the hard wooden edge of the dresser. Across from her Zac shot up in bed a reached for the light switch on the bedside lamp so quickly he knocked over the glass of water that was also standing there.

"Vanessa?" his voice was hoarse from sleep but was laced with worry.

"I'm ok," she said with a wince as Zac stood up from the bed and walked towards her. "Where did that shoe come from," she grumbled.

"Come here, Babe," Zac said and helped her back onto her feet and into a hug. "Are you sure you're ok? Nothings hurting?"

"Just my hip." Her voice was muffled by his shirt and he ran a soothing hand up and down her back.

"The baby?"

"It's ok; I didn't hit my stomach on anything."

"God, Van. You sure know how to scare a guy."

"I didn't mean to…and that's your shoe by the way," she exclaimed and lightly hit his chest. Pulling her closer to himself; Zac buried his face in her curls and yawned quietly. She sighed contently as his hands entwined with hers.

"What were you doing up in the first place," he asked, slowly changing positions so he could look at her.

"Someone decided to use my bladder as a trampoline," she mumbled and a tired chuckle escaped from Zac.

"It's not funny."

"Sorry," he said apologetically and brushed a kiss against the top of her head. A yawn escaped her and he smiled lazily.

"Crawl back into bed, Ness, I'll clean up the mess I made."

"You better…"

"I will, now into bed you go."

She didn't even attempt to disagree, knowing that she was powerless to fight against the tiredness that swept over here when Zac began his magic strokes.

Minutes later Zac pulled the covers over her body and kissed her forehead.

"I'll be right back," he whispered and tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"Mhm…"

Zac smiled at the sight and silently moved to the bathroom to retrieve a towel that would soak up the spilled water on the floor. Vanessa often made fun of him for, what she called, his over protectiveness, but he couldn't help it. There were many things in his life that he could easily picture himself without. He didn't need a million dollar house or a brand new car, he'd manage just fine on a normal salary as well, but a life without Vanessa? That was something he couldn't picture, something he didn't _want _to picture. When she'd chocked out that she was pregnant a few months earlier hundreds of thoughts had hit him at once, none of them had been to leave her. Nothing she had done had ever made him want to leave her.

'_Zac Efron is soooo hot; don't see why he's dating that slut Vanessa Slutgens though…she's only making him look bad. She doesn't even look good in those naked pictures…' _

_Zac's hand clenched the computer mouse so hard in his fist that it made a crackling sound of complaint. Breathing harshly through his nose he slammed the lid on the laptop close; using far more power than needed. How dared they? How fucking dared they talk about her like that? And how dared they look at pictures of _**his** _girl naked. His fists clenched at the mere thought and he knew he needed to calm down before she arrived. The last thing she needed was to find him upset when she needed him the most. Standing up he glanced out at the shimmering water in the pool and quickly pulled the shirt he was wearing over his head. Maybe a quick dip would make him cool down. _

_15 minutes later Zac shook water droplets out of his hair as he pulled on a pair of sweats. Vanessa had texted him a few minutes ago to tell him that she was about to leave and he had immediately started getting dressed. His head was still filled to the brim with emotions, but he knew that right at this moment it was Vanessa's feelings that came first. He couldn't even begin to imagine how she was feeling. It was her people were calling names, staring at…judging. Judging for something every other girl in the country had done at some point or another. It made his blood boil. Boil because it was partly his fault. _

"_Hello?" _

_Zac knew that voice anywhere. It was sweet, melodious and usually a lot happier than the tentative question that had just floated through the hallways. _

"_In the bedroom, babe," he called back, listening intently as her feet shuffled closer to where he was standing. When she appeared in the doorway he felt his heart breaking. Vanessa's usually bubbly features were gone and the sparkles in her eyes were replaced with shimmering tears. _

"_Oh, baby-girl," he breathed out and opened his arms for her. Wordlessly she stepped into them and buried her face in his still bare chest. Silence surrounded them as he soothingly rubbed her back and placed loving kisses on the top of her head. She didn't deserve this, and he'd do anything, absolutely anything to make it all go away. _

"_I'm sorry," she whispered and he froze. Was she apologizing to him?_

"_Babe, why are you sorry?" he asked gently and slowly maneuvered them towards the bed so they could sit down. _

"_For ruining everything…" her voice was barely above a whisper and she refused to look at him. Zac rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes. _

"_Vanessa, baby, look at me," he ordered softly. When she didn't react he placed a gentle hand under her chin and carefully tilted her face upwards until their eyes met. _

"_**You **__haven't ruined a thing do you hear?" _

_She squeezed her eyes shut and let a tear roll down her cheek. Zac's hand quickly reached out and wiped the drop away. _

"_I keep pulling you down with me…" _

"_You're not pulling me anywhere, Vanessa…"_

"_But I am!" she exclaimed, pulling away from his touch. "When things are going great I turn around and fuck something up! But I don't only ruin things for me…I ruin __**your**__ reputation as well…and I don't want to do that…you've done nothing to deserve it." _

_The tears were flowing freely now, and she chocked on a sob as she finished her little speech. _

"_Vanessa…"_

"_Don't you see it?" she cried. "People are going to look at you as the guy who dates the worthless slut!" _

"_Alright stop right there!" he exclaimed harsher than he intended and forced himself to calm down when he saw the shocked expression on her face._

"_First of all, you, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, are so far from worthless. You're priceless and don't even try and argue with me. I love you. You know I love you. And I couldn't care less about what people say about __**me.**__ What matters is what they say about __**you. **__Slut? Babe, you're the furthest thing from a slut. Those pictures were never meant to be seen by anyone else, had they been meant for the public, then yes…that would have been a little slutty. But you never intended for _anyone _else to lay eyes on them, they were private." _

_As he stopped speaking her small frame shook gently with sobs and he pulled her towards him. Her face disappeared into the crook of his neck and he sighed. _

"_You don't deserve any of this, baby," he soothed. "You never did anything wrong." _

"_Why?" Vanessa whispered. "Why me?" _

"_I don't know, Van. I really don't know. But you're not alone, ok? You're never alone." _

"_I love you…" her voice was quiet and hoarse, but he heard her perfectly well. _

"_I love you, too, Vanessa. I love you, too." _

Shaking his head, Zac placed the now damp towel on the heated towel rack. The past few years had been an emotional rollercoaster. Nothing had prepared him for the sour aftertaste that came with the public's scrutiny. As much as _High School Musical _had given him, it had also taken the one thing he now strived to get back; his privacy. He longed to be able to just walk down a street without being followed, without being studied to the point where his fans knew how many zits he had on that particular day. With a soft sigh he walked back into the bedroom and laid his eyes on the sleeping figure on the bed. She was something he wouldn't ever trade away for anything. _High School Musical _hadn't only brought him success and fame, it had brought him her, and for that he would always be grateful. They'd clicked the moment they met; their relationship had grown from friends to lovers, and had since then survived obstacle after obstacle. He loved her. There was no doubt about that. He loved the person he was around her, constantly striving to be better.

Turning over in her sleep, Vanessa mumbled something incomprehensible and Zac chuckled quietly to himself as he sat down on the mattress. Her stomach was clearly visible through the duvet and he carefully reached out and touched it. Part of him couldn't wait for the baby to come out; the other part was absolutely petrified. As it was right now, life carried on as normal. Nothing much had changed except for Vanessa's clothes size. Once the baby was out, however, nothing would remain the same. The selfish part of him was reluctant to give up his freedom, and the responsible side was scared he wouldn't be good enough. What if he sucked as a father? He'd never been responsible for a child for any extensive period of time; he had no idea how to prepare a bottle or how to silence a crying baby. There were so many things he was scared of doing wrong. Vanessa constantly told him that she was scared to, but somehow it didn't help him feel better. Women seemed to be born with a maternal instinct. What if his paternal one wasn't there?

As if to reassure him the baby suddenly kicked against the palm of his hand and he smiled. It still amazed him that he could feel the small child moving around _inside _his girlfriend. It was something he'd never really given much thought until she had gotten pregnant, but since then it hadn't quite left his mind. It really was a bizarre thought, that there was a living human being in her stomach.

"Sleep…" Vanessa muttered and patted her stomach right next to where his hand was resting. It wasn't the first time shed been awoken by kicks and he constantly tried to imagine what it felt like to her. She said it rarely hurt, unless one of her ribs was subjected to the kicks, but it was one of those feelings that were just indescribable. She couldn't put it into words.

"Be good to your mom," Zac whispered and stroked the bump lovingly. Next to him Vanessa smiled as she slipped back into a deeper sleep and he carefully crawled back under the covers. Her small hand reached out to touch him and he sighed contently. Maybe his mom was right. Everything would be alright the moment he laid eyes on his son or daughter. Their son or daughter.

**AN: **Tell me what you think :)


	3. Baby

**A Lovers Arms**

**AN; **This is it peeps, final chapter =) It's extra long and I really hope you all like it. BIG thanks to Mya for helping me with this one. Love you girl!

Enjoy =)

**Disclaimer: **This is a derivate piece of fiction featuring real people. The author is not affiliated, nor knows any of the following people - including their friends and family - on a personal level - Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Kenny Ortega, nor any other celebrity mentioned throughout this piece of work. This work is solely intended for posting on Fanfiction, for the benefit and enjoyment of its intended audience. No commercial or financial benefit accrues or is intended to accrue to the author as a result of said posting. Any unauthorized copying or redistribution of this work might subject the party responsible for such unauthorized copying or redistribution to legal action by the owners of the aforementioned copyrights and trademarks.

**Chapter 3: Baby **

The darkness still hugged the sleeping city when a shrill cry interrupted Zac's dreams. Next to him he heard Vanessa groan and he quickly reached out to keep her in bed.

"I've got it, babe," he whispered against her shoulder before kissing the spot softly. Her only answer was a barely audible sigh and he carefully eased out of bed, eager to soothe the heart wrenching cries coming from the cradle by the wall. The clock on the bedside table read 4.45 AM and Zac rubbed his eyes to get rid of the tiredness. In the darkness he could barely make out the pink and white letters on the wall that spelled out the name Natalia.

Inside the cradle a pink blanket moved as two small feet kicked into the air before falling back on the mattress. The cries had yet to subside as he stopped and looked down on her. The usually wide brown eyes were shut tightly and her brows were furrowed as she screamed for her parents' attention. With calm movements Zac reached down, placed his hands under her arms and carefully lifted her up. His index fingers supported her head and gently moved her so that her front was resting against his chest in a seated position. With one hand under her bottom and one cradling her head, he ever so softly bounced her up and down.

"Shh, baby girl," he soothed. "It's ok. Daddy's going to get you a bottle. Shh, let's not wake up your Mommy. She needs some sleep. Come on princess, let's go downstairs."

From her basket at the foot of the bed Shadow watched the scene with her head tilted to the side. The intense crying had stopped and as Zac walked past her he looked down with a questioning expression.

"What's up, Shadow? You need to go outside?"

Tilting her head again she yawned before curling up and closing her eyes.

"Guess not," Zac chuckled as he reached for the doorknob, careful to balance his daughter's weight so that she stayed in the same position. The dim light in the hall spread through the open door and illuminated Vanessa's sleeping features. Zac glanced in her direction and smiled at the serene expression on her face. Having a newborn had taken its toll on them both, and despite doing the best he could to even out the wake nights, Vanessa had often gotten out of bed before he had even registered that someone was crying. Weeks of too little sleep had started to catch up with her and he knew she desperately needed these extra hours of rest.

Leaving the door ajar he stepped out into the hallway and made his way towards the kitchen while humming a melody he couldn't quite place. Cuddled safely against her dad's warm chest, Natalia had settled for suckling on her closed fist and Zac couldn't help but smile at the sounds coming from the small girl. She was clearly hungry and he knew that unless she got food fast she'd let him know it was urgent.

As they approached the kitchen he gently shifted her weight so that she was now lying down on his left arm, efficiently freeing his right one. Sounds of complaint escaped her and he started to rock her softly as he opened the fridge door and reached for the bottle of breast milk Vanessa had put there before they went to bed. Making quick work of heating the bottle, Zac soon found himself seated in the rocking chair with Natalia cradled in his arms. She accepted the bottle with few disagreements and was now hungrily drinking the warm familiar milk. Her small hands had reached out and were softly pressed against his fingers that were wrapped around the bottle. She had grown a lot in the month that had passed since she was born, but her fingers still looked as tiny as they had the first time she'd reached out and held onto him. It was a moment filled with emotions Zac hadn't been prepared for, and he knew it was something he wouldn't ever forget.

_There were several moments in his life Zac thought represented absolute contentment. Having Vanessa back in his arms after months of separation, spending a paparazzi free weekend with his family and lazy-ing about on a beach in Hawaii were some of them, but nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the feeling that was currently flowing through him. He was completely overwhelmed by emotions he wasn't even sure he could identify, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was the incredibly small, yet perfect, hand that was currently wrapped around his index finger. Five delicate little fingers that hadn't let go of him in over an hour. She was perfect; so unbelievably perfect. _

_Smiling he let his thumb rub over her fingertips and felt something inside him flutter as he glanced at her face once more. For the time being all worry seemed to have disappeared and been replaced by a love he didn't even know existed until he laid eyes on her; this tiny person who had changed absolutely everything by her mere presence. _

_Her body suddenly jerked in his arms and he froze. Was she supposed to do that? He held his breath and continued to watch her. Showing no signs of waking up he let himself relax and breathed out. On the bed a few feet away, Vanessa groaned quietly as she shifted position. Zac tore his eyes away from their daughter in response to the sound and was surprised to find a pair of eyes looking back at him. _

"_Hi…" she said quietly. Her voice still coated in sleep and exhaustion. _

"_Hey, Beautiful," he answered with a smile. "What are you doing up? You should be resting." _

_She shrugged her shoulders in response. _

"_It feels weird," she said. "Not having her in there anymore." _

_Zac shot her a smile and carefully stood up from the chair. As he did the baby's eyelids fluttered open and looked up at him. _

"_I think she wants to see her mommy," he said and closed the small distance between them. Vanessa bit her lip at looked up at him with a small smile, her eyes twinkling. Without breaking their eye contact he sat down next to her on the bed and watched as she pulled herself into a more seated position. He was sure she was still in pain, but she didn't as much as flinch as she moved. Once seated somewhat comfortably she shot Zac a pleading look and he quickly placed the baby girl in her arms. _

"_Hey pretty thing," Vanessa whispered and used her index finger to trace the outline of the baby's face. Zac settled back among the pillows and wrapped his left arm around Vanessa's shoulders before pulling her towards him. She sighed softly as she laid her head to rest on his shoulder. _

"_I can't believe she was inside me," she said softly. _

"_Me either. I can't believe she's the one that kicked against my hand time and time again like she was the strongest thing alive, and now that she's here I'm afraid of breaking her…"_

"_She's perfect isn't she?" _

_Zac smiled and pressed a kiss to the crown of Vanessa's head. _

"_Yeah she is; she's absolutely perfect." _

Placing the now empty bottle on the side table next to the chair, Zac looked down at a nearly asleep Natalia. Her lips were still moving in a sucking motion and he hated that he had to disturb her. Slowly he reached for the burping pad and placed it over his shoulder, then; as gently as he could, he lifted her up so that her head was resting on it. His large hand came to rest against her back where he softly moved it up and down, helping her burp up the air that would surly give her a tummy ache if it didn't come up.

"Come on sweetie," he mumbled and started lightly patting her back instead. A few seconds later the awaited burp came and he smiled to himself. Pleased that she hadn't spat up on him he relaxed into the soft cushions of the rocking chair and closed his eyes. Outside the suns early beams were greeted by birdsong, and instead of feeling annoyance towards the intruding sound, Zac found himself slowly drifting off and carefully moved Natalia so that she was cuddled more safely against his chest.

:» ΰ «:

For the first time in what felt like forever Vanessa woke up on her own accord. Smiling she reached across the bed only to be met with empty cold sheets. Frowning she opened her eyes and looked around. The room was quiet except for the familiar pitter-patter of Shadows paws as she crossed the floor and gracefully jumped onto the bed. Sitting up she rubbed her eyes as a yawn escaped her. Beams of sunlight had made their way through the blinds and created crisscrossing patterns on the walls and floor and Vanessa briefly wondered what time it was.

"Where'd the others go, Shadow?" Vanessa asked. "Are they downstairs?"

Shadow slowly opened her eyes and yawned, a silent screech escaped her and Vanessa giggled.

"Alright, I'll go see for myself, you stay here and sleep you lazy bum," she teased with a smile and scratched the small dog lovingly behind her ear.

Knowing there was no way Shadow would stay in the bedroom on her own for very long, Vanessa made sure to leave the door open behind her when she stepped into the hallway. Not even the sound of the TV reached her ears as she padded towards the stairs, her bare feet loving the feel of the soft carpet. The living room was bathed in sunlight and Vanessa squinted her eyes against the sudden brightness. At first glance she didn't notice pair that was snuggled in the rocking chair, it was only when her eyes had adjusted that she saw them.

Deep inside Vanessa had always known Zac would be a wonderful daddy. The way he treated kids they had met had never failed to make her heart flutter, but nothing had really prepared her for seeing him with _their _daughter.

In her eyes he was a natural. Somehow he just knew how to soothe her cries and make her feel safe. He'd been worried before she was born. He had told her that. He had been scared he would be rubbish at being a father; scared he would drop her or hurt her without meaning to. Vanessa had known all along that it would never happen, but he wasn't so sure. It had all changed when the nurse had handed him a screaming baby Natalia. For a moment he had looked worried, but then he'd started rocking her and the wails had slowly stopped until he was cradling a sleeping baby girl.

Vanessa heart had melted at the sight, and when she noticed them sleeping quietly in the rocking chair that morning, the familiar feeling swept over her once again. Natalia's PJ covered body looked small and fragile on Zac's bare chest, but the steady rise and fall of her back told Vanessa that she was perfectly content with her Daddy's hands holding her in place. An empty bottle stood abandoned on the small table and she tiptoed over to feel whether it was still warm or not. The plastic felt cool against her hand and she smiled to herself. She had no idea how long they had been down there, but it had obviously been a while.

Shaking her head slightly she reached out and brushed Zac's hair away from his forehead with gentle fingers. His eyelids fluttered at her touch and she leaned over to kiss the spot his hair had covered a few seconds earlier.

"Hmmm," he yawned.

"What time is it?" his voice was hoarse from sleep and Vanessa ran her hand soothingly through his shaggy mop of hair.

"Don't know," she whispered. "What time did you go down here?"

"Around 5, Lia was hungry."

"Aww, well she looks content now," she said and glanced down at the sleeping baby. Zac smiled and let his finger stroke soft dark hair gently. Next to him Vanessa had sat down on the armrest of the chair and carefully leaned back until her head rested on his shoulder. Without disturbing Natalia, Zac scooted towards the right and wrapped his left arm around Vanessa's waist. She easily slid down until her body rested partly on him and partly in the open space between his butt and the armrest. His head turned to the side and kissed the top of her head softly. Getting an extra large chair had definitely been a smart move.

With a soft sigh Vanessa nestled her head on his chest and looked down at Natalia. In some ways it felt like she had been around forever, in others it was as if they had brought her home yesterday. That day was still vivid in her mind. She had been both excited and so scared. She had never cared for a newborn all on her own before, and it took a tearful chat with Zac's mother before she had calmed down and believed that maybe she could do it after all.

_The living room looked as if a meadow had thrown up in it. Dozens of flower bouquets covered the various tables and shelves in the room and Vanessa looked wide-eyed at them all. It was no secret that she was pregnant or that the baby had been born, but neither event had been announced in any way, so exactly how so many people seemed to know she really wasn't sure. _

"_What do we do with them all?" she asked and turned towards Zac who had walked in behind her with the sleeping baby and another two bouquets. _

"_Where'd they come from?" Vanessa asked motioning towards the new flowers. _

"_Got them handed to me just now, news surely spread fast. All these arrived in the few hours I was home this morning," he said and handed the baby over to Vanessa. She took her with gentle hands and cradled her safely against her chest. The smell in the room was far too strong for Vanessa to take at that moment and she padded towards the French doors leading to the back yard. The hot June air mingled with the smell of flowers and Vanessa quickly made her way over to the big round sun bed. The thick beige mattress and pillows were shielded from the scorching sun due to the matching shade that had been pulled up around it. _

_With slow movements Vanessa climbed onto it and gently placed Natalia on the flat surface. Feeling certain that she was comfortable, Vanessa let her own body relax and lay down next to her, a small hiss escaping her lips as she did so. Natalia's birth had gone better than she had thought, but it had been painful, and the pain had certainly not disappeared yet. All through her pregnancy she had heard various birth stories from women in the family. She had been prepared for pain, for tearing, cutting and stitches, but being prepared didn't make it any less uncomfortable to move around now. _

"_You ok, babe?" Zac's soothing voice suddenly asked from the bottom of the sun-bed and Vanessa looked up. _

"_Yeah, just sore." _

"_You sure?" _

"_Yeah, don't worry. Looking at her it's not so weird it hurts…it doesn't seem possible does it? She's small, but I can't believe she came out of me…" _

_Zac chuckled and lay down opposite her. Careful not to disturb their daughter he reached over and picked up Vanessa's hand. _

"_I saw it happen and I still can't believe it," he said and interlaced their fingers. Watching Natalia being born was definitely one of the most amazing, yet bizarre things he had ever witnessed. How a baby was born had far from been a mystery to him, but seeing it happen had been so different from looking at various pictures in books. It really didn't seem possible that such a perfect human being could grow inside another only to come out when she was ready to. _

"_When did your parent say they were coming?" Vanessa asked through a yawn. _

"_Mom called a few minutes ago to say that they were on their way. They will probably be here in about 3 and a half hour or so. Mom said not to stress though, she's just excited to see Natalia." _

"_I know. The living room needs some work though. All those flowers can't be in the same room, there was hardly any fresh air left there at all." _

"_I'll move them around, babe. Don't worry." _

"_Thanks." Another yawn escaped her and Zac moved his hand to stroke over her cheek. _

"_You should rest while she does, Van. There's no guarantee she will be tired when you want to sleep." _

"_Yeah," she agreed. "Do you think we can stay out here? It's not too hot for her? I don't want to put her in a room all by herself yet, but I kind of don't want to move myself indoors yet." _

_Zac gently shook his head as he glanced down at their baby girl. She had been dressed in a thin white cotton body with pink ladybugs scattered on it, a matching hat, pink cotton pants and white socks with lace on them. In the shade her chest rose and fell gently as she slept peacefully between the two of them. _

"_She doesn't look uncomfortable," he said with a smile. "How about the two of you stay out here, and I'll move flowers and come check on you when I'm done?"_

"_Mhm, sounds good," she said quietly and let her head fall down on the soft pillows. Next to her Zac carefully sat up and leaned down to place a kiss on her temple before leaving his girls to rest. _

:» ΰ «:

_It was several hours later that Vanessa found herself sitting in the rocking chair that had been placed in what would become Natalia's nursery. Through the open door she could hear the chatter from downstairs, but felt no need to join them again quite yet. Natalia had fallen asleep while she had fed her a few minutes ago and she felt perfectly content just watching her. She looked so small and fragile. Her entire hand was smaller than Vanessa's thumb, and she felt an instant need to protect the little girl. From what she wasn't entirely sure, but she never wanted anything to harm her beautiful baby girl. _

_In her sleep Natalia was still moving her mouth in a suckling motion and Vanessa gently bit down on her lip as she watched her. She depended on her parents for absolutely everything. If they didn't provide what she needed there was no way she could get it herself. The thought intimidated Vanessa. What if she didn't know what her daughter wanted or needed? What if she didn't wake up when Natalia got hungry? What if…_

"_Are you alright, honey?" a soft voice suddenly asked from the doorway, making Vanessa's head snap up. Through shimmering eyes she focused on the owner of the voice and once again drew her bottom lip into her mouth. Starla Efron had from the very start treated Vanessa like the daughter she never got. She had offered comforting hugs when things hadn't gone quite to plan in life, and Vanessa loved her to bits. Knowing that it was impossible to keep anything hidden from Starla she quietly shook her head gently as a tear escaped her eye. _

"_Hey, now. Why the tears, sweetheart?" Starla asked as she quickly crossed the room and sat down on the ottoman opposite the rocking chair. _

"_What if I can't do it?" Vanessa asked quietly. _

"_Can't do what?" _

"_Be a mom…I've never been anyone's mom before. What if I do something wrong…" _

"_Oh, Sweetie. You're being a wonderful mom. Just look at her sleeping. She's changed, she's fed and she's perfectly happy to be nestled in your arms. You're not doing anything wrong."_

"_I'm scared I can't give her what she needs," Vanessa sniffled. _

"_Vanessa, look at me, honey. I know that you're probably feeling all over the place right now. Giving birth is a huge shock on your system and it makes your hormones go wild, but I'm positive that you can give that gorgeous little girl everything she needs. When her diaper needs changing you'll change it, when she's hungry you'll feed her, and when she gets a tummy ache you'll cuddle and love her. That's all she needs right now. Everything else will come to you, and you know we're all just a phone call away should you need it. Gina is only a few minutes away, and you know I would come down if you needed me to, but I'm certain that once you get settled into a proper routine everything will feel much more manageable. Everything's new and scary right now, but things will get easier. You'll learn to distinguish her cries from each other, and by that you'll know what she wants."_

"_What if I don't?" _

"_Then she'll cry until she gets what she wants, but I'm sure you will learn to do that. But Vanessa, it's ok to feel overwhelmed. I remember I was when I got Zac. I didn't know if I was doing anything right, but he turned out ok didn't he?" Starla asked as she squeezed Vanessa's hand lovingly. _

"_Yeah…he turned out much better than ok," Vanessa said and locked eyes with the woman in front of her. Starla smiled and stood up. _

"_How about we go find him huh? Then you can snuggle up next to him while we all coo over that beautiful little creature you brought into the world?" _

"_Ok." A smile had crept onto her face now and Starla grinned as Vanessa stood up and handed the sleeping baby to her. The older woman cradled Natalia in practiced hands before she reached out and wiped away one of the tears that still lingered on Vanessa's cheek. _

"_Thanks," Vanessa said. _

"_You're welcome."_

"_No, but just…thanks…for this. For not thinking I'm completely incapable." _

"_Oh, you are far from incapable Vanessa. And you know we'll always be here for you three. Always," Starla said and wrapped her free arm around Vanessa's shoulders and pulled her in for a sideways hug. _

"_It will work out, just wait and see," she said and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze._

_Vanessa smiled as they walked out of the nursery and towards the living room. The second her feet hit the floor Zac's head turned to look at her. His eyes showed immediate worry at her bloodshot eyes, but she quickly shot him a smile to tell him she was ok. Without uttering a single word she made her way over to the vacant seat next to her boyfriend and cuddled into his side. His arms wrapped around her instantly as he placed a kiss on top of her head. _

"_You ok, Babe?" he whispered. _

"_Yeah, just a bit…I don't know. Emotional," she said with a sigh as she let her head rest against his chest. Instead of verbally replying, he rubbed his hand lovingly up and down her arm and pulled her closer to his body. Her eyes rested on his parents, and from the loving embrace Zac had wrapped her in, she somehow knew that Starla was right. Everything would work out in the end. _

"Where did you disappear to?" Zac suddenly asked, efficiently bringing her back into reality.

"Thinking about when we brought her home," she said and reached down to touch the little girls' hand. The small body did a little jerk and Vanessa giggled quietly at the sweet sight.

"Hard to imagine not having her around isn't it?" Zac asked, his eyes trained on Natalia.

"Yeah, she's just part of life now," Vanessa said and stroked her thumb over the little hand she was holding. As she did it, the small girls' eyes fluttered open and looked straight at her mommy's face.

"Hi, Princess," Vanessa said with a smile as Natalia stretched out and tried to lift her head from its current position. It took her several tries before the heavy head stilled somewhat while the little girl looked around at her surroundings. She only managed to keep it up for a few seconds, and Zac chuckled when her head fell back on his chest. Natalia whimpered in protest and Zac quickly unwrapped his arm from around Vanessa so that he could pick the little girl up and place her against his slightly raised knees.

Vanessa shifted in her seat to become more comfortable and Natalia's big brown eyes looked at her curiously as she lifted a fist towards her mouth and started suckling on it.

"You getting hungry, sweetie? Huh?" Vanessa asked and reached over to tickle Natalia's tummy. She squirmed slightly and let the first fall from her mouth as a smile suddenly spread on her face. The fingers that had been tickling her stilled abruptly as their owner looked frantically around for a camera. Zac, who quickly realized what Vanessa looked for, reached towards the table where he'd left his phone the night before. His fingers flew over the keys before he held it up, ready to snap a picture.

Vanessa let her fingertips ghost over Natalia's belly once again, but they did not have their desired effect this time.

"Come on, Sweetie, smile for mommy. Do it again."

Nothing.

"She'll do it again," Zac soothed, knowing that Vanessa really wanted to get a picture of the first smile. It was something she hadn't done before, and he could still vividly picture the beautiful sight. He had always said that she'd get Vanessa's smile, and he had been right. The smile he had spent years admiring now also belonged to his daughter, and he felt his heart warming at the thought.

On his lap Natalia had gone back to chewing on her fist and he gently nudged Vanessa.

"I think you should probably feed that one before she eats her own fingers," he chuckled.

"Alright, come here munchkin," Vanessa said and lifted Natalia up and held her up in front of her face. Beside her she felt Zac move to stand up and she scooted further down in the chair.

"Need a pillow?" Zac asked.

"Yes please. Cause you're getting heavy cutie, and mommy's arm gets real tired from holding you up when you eat," Vanessa said and gently squeezed Natalia's sides while making faces at her. Zac smiled at the interaction and held up his phone to snap a picture of the scene. Just as he did, the little girls face suddenly lit up in a smile, and he wasted no time in pressing the button several times to forever capture the moment. From the chair Vanessa shot him one of her own dazzling smiles and he snapped a picture of her as well.

It was one of those rare moments he realized. Where nothing mattered except the three of them, and right at that second he couldn't care less about the crazy world that waited for them right outside their door, because at that moment in time, his whole world was seated in front of him.

**AN: **There you have it =) Hope you liked it, and please tell me what you think.

Xxx Caroline Xxx


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